(TW; residential schools) If you read the news today, you’ll see that the Pope has offered a sweeping apology to Canada’s residential school survivors. In these horrific schools, some of them open up until the ‘90s, Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their homes, abused, and forced to adhere to white Christian values. The goal was simple: To eradicate our culture entirely. When I championed @creeborn’s powerful novel “Five Little Indians” on #CanadaReads this year (and won), I—and many others readers—was offered a clear understanding of the profound impacts these schools have had on Indigenous people. Many could not just “move on.” The intergenerational trauma is still felt today. I would know: My grandmother, Leda, attended one. So, for many Native folks, getting that apology today was a necessary step towards healing—especially after years of deliberate silence. But apologies are also not enough. To see the Pope adorning a traditional headdress and asking for forgiveness—without clear plans of action in regards to reparations, or supporting the Indigenous community his church has harmed—feels like a clear slap in the face. We do not have to forgive those who have made no attempts to reverse their hateful actions. Indigenous folks are strong—some of the strongest I’ve ever met—and we certainly do not need their pity. But it is frustrating. It’s like Groundhog Day, watching the same people in power acknowledge Indigenous violence without ever.. doing anything about it. Anyway, I had a lot of emotions today about this, and I just wanted to remind people why Michelle’s book is so powerful and so needed. I hope you’ll consider reading it to witness firsthand the resiliency and strength Indigenous folks have displayed in a world that’s tried so hard to toss them aside. But guess what? We’re still here, bitch!